Fire escape



n. KAL'KufscH.

FIRE ESCAPE.

y APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1919. 1,41 1,438. Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

WITNESSES:

RUDOLPH KALKUSC'H, OF CHICAGO, II'JLIIQ'OIS.`

FIRE ESCAPE.

i rai-ae,

Specification or' Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial No. 326,225.

To LH 'Lu/10m 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ltfnonrn KALnUsci-r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot the city oi Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in llire ltscapes, ot' which the lollowingl is a specification. y

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in fire escapes, and has lor its object the provision on a lire escape ct a counterbalancing means beneath the stairway vand tree :from interference with the supporting platform, although beneath and close to it. Another object is to provide a counterbalance ellective along the center line of the stairway without causing it or its supporting parts to project lower than said stairway, when in its normal position, to any appreciable extent.

@ther objects will appear hereinafter. Y

rlhe invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the lower section of' a fire escape embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on substantially line 2-2 of Fie. l, with the stop for the counterbalance removed;V

Fig. V3) is a rear ,view of my invention with parts in section.

The approved form ot construction comprises the lower section L of a lire escape, the upper end of which is pivotally connected, as at 5, in the usual manner to the usual stationary support or platform 6.

Pivotally connected at one end to the member 6, as at 7, is a depending link 8, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a shoe 10 which is rigidly'mounted to the bar or beam 1l. To the outer end of the member 1]. is mounted the weight 12. The opposite end of the member 1l is securely fastened to a member 13, which has extending laterally from its opposite ends lugs lst by means of which the member 13 is pivotally connected to the opposite sides of the stairway by a cooperating rod l5. Secured to the rearward end of the member 6 is a U-shaped member 16 in which the member 1l is adapted to -movc vertically relatively to the platform My invention relates solely to the lower section of a llire escape which is usually in the form of a stairway pivotally supported its upper end and counterbalanced so that it may be summrted normally in horizontal position at about the level of its pivot, whereby it is elevated 'above the street and presents no obstruction to pedestrians or vehicles. Local regulations olten provide a minimum clearance between the side-walk or street and the pivoted stairway, when in its normal or horizontal position.- Since it is desirable to have the pivoted stairwav ilairly low, the stairway is usuallv designed so that the clearance beneath it shall be as small as the ordinances will allow. To this end, it .has been customary in manv cases to provide an extension on one sidevot the stairway, to the outer end ot' which the counterbalance is secured. The counterbalance and the extension therefor project no lower than the main body ol the stairway, when in horizontal position. rllhis arrangement, however, whereby the counterweightis supported from one side ot the stairway (it being impractical, under some circumstances, to support it from both sides), produces a tendency in the stairway to sag on one side, with a consequent weakening at the point of pivotal connection of the stairway with `the support. This tendency is objectional and is only partially offset by providing a very stiff, rigid, and consequently more expensive construction. There attempts have been made heretofore to arrange the counterweight in the vertical plane passingthrough the center line of the stairway, the required parts projected down, so as to necessitate an objectionably high location 'of the supporting platform. Y

.n my invention I have eliminated the side strain on the stairway and have also provided a means whereby the weight projects a very slight distance below the stairway, when in its normal or horizontal position. As clearly shown in F 2, the barl or beam l1 is secured intermediate the sides of the stairway li, that is, it is beneath and in the vert-ical plane of the longitudinal cen-` ter line ot the stairway, and as a result the stairway is supported at its main axis, and the stairway consequent-ly has no skewing tendency. As shown in the dotted portion ol Fig'. l., the bar or beam 1l, diverges from is substantially the same as the distance from the pivotal point l to the pivotal point It will be noted, as a result of the foregoing construction, that, when the stairway 1s lowered, the counterweight clears the landing or platform 6, the bar l1 diverging 'from the stairway and being spaced from it at one end a considerable distance. lVhen the stairway has swung upwardly in horizontal position, however, thc bar l1 is substantially parallel with the side members of thestairway 4l, the fulcrum. point at the lower end of ythe member 8 having swung to the dotted line position., and the coun` terweight being disposed only slightly below the platform. Under these circumstances, it will be seen that. if the distance from the counterweight to the ground is the minimum required clearance, the distance from the stairway proper to the ground is only a few inches greater. The supporting member or platform 6 may, therefore, be located close to the ground as permissible or as necessary. It is also to be noticed that, upon lowering the stairway from its horizontal or normal position, the link 8 is moved backwardly toward' therear of the plat-form 6. The member 16, upon the stairway being raised to its horizontal or normal position, engages the under surface of the. member l1 and prevents the stairway 4 from being raised above a horizontal position.

In order to prevent skewing or the objectionable side twist it is not essential that the counter-weight or its support be monnted along the center line of the stairway, as .long as the resultant forces are applied cen- 454 trally to the stairway. y

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention intoeifect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from, the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, whatv I claimas new and desire to secure by Let` eliued and substantially horizontal position; eounterbalanrmg` means operatively connected with said stairway; and means pivlink pivoted to swing from said support;`

and a counterbalancing lever pivotally connected intermediate its ends with the depending end of said link, one end of said lever being operatively connected with said stairway, and the other bearing a counterweight, substantially as described. y

3. A fire escape compri.'ng a platform; a stairway hinged at its upper end to said platform; a link pivotally connected with said platform and swingingly depending therefrom; a lever pivotally connected at one of its ends with said stairway, and intermediate its ends with the depending end of said link; and a counter-weight on the other end of said lever to raise and support the stairway in horizontal posit-ion, snbstantially as described.

4t. A fire escape comprising a platform, a link mounting pivoted to said platform and depending therefrom; a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to said link mounting and operatively connected at one end with said stairway, the distance between the pivotal connectlon of said lever with said stairway and its pivotal connection with said mounting, and the distance between said lever and stairway pivotal connection and the pivotal connection between said stairway and said platform, being approximately et ual; and a counterwei ht on the other end oV said lever, subst-antia ly as described.

5. In a fire escape, a supporting member; a. stairway, normally in horizontal iosition. pivotally connected to said mem er and adapted to be inclined downward relatively to said member; counter-balancing means secured to said stairway and so supported as to lie adjacent to said stairway when in horizontal position. and to diverge Ytherefrom when the same Vis downwardly inclined, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

RU OLPH KALKUSCH'.

llVtnesses:

JOSHUA Pofi'rs, VJANET E. FARRELL.. 

